Work-family conflict in the context of gender: A study on female cabin crew members

Social gender roles have determined that attributes such as reason and power are associated with men, while characteristics like being emotional, accommodating, and providing good care are associated with women. This is why the belief that women can be more beneficial in crisis situations has led to the perception of certain professions as "women's work." Cabin crew, a profession in which direct passenger communication and passenger satisfaction are paramount and where women are believed to excel in providing the necessary communication, is one of these professions considered as "women's work" in society. In addition to this, women continue to bear domestic responsibilities. Work-family conflict occurs when individuals cannot balance their roles in their work and family lives. When considering social gender roles, it is more common for women to experience workfamily conflict. This study aims to identify the constraints experienced by female cabin crew members within the context of all these concepts, especially social gender roles, patriarchal family structure, and work-family conflict, and the methods they resort to for self-preservation. According to the findings of the research, even if women are conscious of gender equality, the patriarchal understanding negatively affects both their work and family lives. It was determined that women face both sexist attitudes from both men and women in their professional lives, experience sexual harassment and mobbing in the workplace, and that their family lives are negatively affected by the working conditions and demands. It is understood that the challenging conditions of the cabin crew profession, along with negative experiences in the context of social gender, and reduced tolerance levels, adversely affect family life. Keywords: Social gender, patriarchal family structure, cabin crew profession, work-family conflict.